This invention relates to the field of elastic or conformable nonwoven fabrics and laminates designed for use in low friction applications.
Gel filled supports are used in a variety of devices where the supports can come into direct contact with a person's skin. The gel is typically a solid tacky viscoelastic material. The solid gel typically contains low molecular weight components that can separate from the gel. As such, generally these gels should be contained in a fluid impermeable barrier layer. This barrier layer should also be soft and conformable and preferably has a very low friction surface, is soil resistant, has high abrasion resistance and adequate tear and puncture resistance. In copending application Ser. No. 08/253,510, filed on Jun. 3, 1994, now abandoned, there is proposed for a gel-filled wrist support, the use of a polyurethane film as a barrier layer. The barrier film covered gel can then further be wrapped in an outer layer for comfortable contact with the person's wrists. For this outer layer there is proposed a polyurethane non-woven, leather, vinyl, "Dacron" or "Ultrilure". These outer layer materials are wrapped around the barrier film gel pad. Although this is advantageous in many respects, there is a considerable need for a barrier outer layer material with greater strength, soil resistance, abrasion resistance, lower friction and ease of use.
Elastomeric polyurethanes have been proposed in other uses which may require skin contact. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,660,228 a glove is formed by two elastic sheet materials that are simultaneously die cut and heat sealed along the periphery to form the glove. One of the glove layers is an elastic polyurethane nonwoven fabric formed by a melt-spinning or melt blowing process. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,080 a low abrasion resistant elastic sheet such as a melt blown ethylene vinyl acetate nonwoven is joined to a high abrasion resistant sheet such as a melt blown polyetherurethane nonwoven as the outer layer forming a high abrasion resistant laminate. The higher abrasion resistant sheet laminate is apparently designed for use in apparel applications such as diapers or mattress pads. U.S. Pat. No. 4,565,736 describes a surgical compress with a fibrous polyurethane cover layer and an absorbent layer. U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,970 describes an elastic film, such as a polyurethane film, inner layer covered by two nonwoven fabric layers. U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,701 describes a nonwoven elastomeric web for use in a wound dressing or adhesive bandage. The adhesive bandage backing layer is an elastomeric polyurethane microfiber web.